Demonstrating how the malfunction of normal molecular pathways and components can lead to cancer, this text explores how our understanding of these defective mechanisms can be harnessed to develop new targeted therapeutic agents.

Reviews the origins of molecular oncology, including technologies for cancer analysis, key pathways in human malignancies, and available pharmacologic therapies.

This title includes the following features: Great breadth of coverage inone volume: covers all aspects of cancer, in a concise and affordable format;Provides a comprehensive introduction to the initiation, development, andtreatment of cancer; Chapter are written by experts in each field, giving astate-of-the-art summary of each topic; Extensive references provide links toall the relevant literature, facilitating further study

“... Useful background information is displayed in blue boxes, and good use is made of numerous tables and diagrams... a useful book for the undergraduate medical or allied health professional...” –Oncology News, May/June 2010 This forward looking cancer biology book appeals to a wide ranging audience. Introductory chapters that provide the molecular, cellular, and genetic information needed to comprehend the material of the subsequent chapters bring unprepared students up to speed for the rest of the book and serve as a useful refresher for those with previous biology background. The second set of chapters focuses on the main cancers in terms of risk factors, diagnostic and treatment methods and relevant current research. The final section encompasses the immune system’s role in the prevention and development of cancer and the impact that the Human Genome Project will have on future approaches to cancer care. While best suited to non-majors cancer biology courses, the depth provided satisfies courses that combine both majors and non-majors. Also, and deliberately, the authors have incorporated relevant information on diagnosis and treatment options that lend appeal to the lay reader.